Steel end fob gondola cabs



Aug. 14, 1923.

W. E. VAN DORN STEEL END FOR GONDOLA CARS Filed March 9. 1921 A INVENTOR. Q? 4 a A TTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 14, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. VAN DORN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEEL END FOR GONDOLA CARS.

Application filed March 9, 1921. Serial No. 450,994.

To a?! whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. VAN DonN, a citizen of the United States, resid ing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Steel Ends for (londola (Jars, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled. in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its primary object to produce a steel end for gondola cars which shall he simple in construction, capabio of being easily applied, and which shall possess great strength and rigidity and have the capacity of reinforcing the sides of the car body.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will he1ein after he pointed out. with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its object and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a gondola car arranged in accordance with my invention, portions of the cap plate and of the reinforcing foot plate being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of approximately one-half of the completed end, together with a fragment of one of the car sides;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the longitudinal protecting plate on the car side and the cap plate for the end being omitted;

Fig. 4 a vertical longitudinal section through the car on line 44 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a section taken approximately on line 5---5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents, the floor plate and 2, 2 the side walls of the gondola car. The end of the car is made of sheet nictal having, in the arrangement shown. flat marginal portions, 3, 3, at the sides thereof, which flat marginal portions establish the normal plane of the sheet. Paris of these fiat marginal portions are bent rearwardly, as indicated at 4, to form flanges lying against the outer faces of the car sides, these flanges and the car sides being securely fastened together by means of bolts, 5, or the like. The metal end is corrugated a ong vertical lines, the corrugations preferably extending throughout the entire height of the end. i In them-rangemcnt shown, the corrugations are straight and of uniform depth, their extreme upper ends. as indicated at 6, lying behind or within the normal plane of the sheet While their extreme lower ends, as indicated at 7, he without or in front of said plane; the longitudinal elements of each corrugation therefore forming a slight angle with said plane. A reinforcing foot plate. 8, extends across the lower ends of said corrugations,

being secured thereto and to the floor plate of the car. Consequently each corrugation is in effect a post firmly attached at its base to and rising from the floor plate of the car; not only producing a very strong end but permitting it to resist great pressure without assistance from the car sides. The lower end of the end itself may be attached to the floor plate in any suitable way. In the arrangement shown, the lower marginal portioirof the and is flanged outwardly, as indicated at 9, so that a single set of rivets, 10, will serve to fasten the foot plate, the flange 9, and the floor plate together.

The top marginal portion of the end, just beyond the upper ends of the corrugations is bent outwardly to form a flange, 11, which is preferably wide at the middle and decreases gradually in width toward the sides of the car. On t 'iis flange and secured thereto is a ca plate, 1.2. also wider at the middle than at tie ends. The cap plate is provided at its extreme ends with rearward GXiQlh sions, 13, which overlie the upper. edges of the car sides and me preferably riveted or otherwise secured to longitudinal protecting plate or elements, 14, lying upon the upper edges of said sides. The cap plate is als provided with a downwardl; and ream'zirdly inclined extension, 15, uhich rests upon and is secured to the inclined upper ends, 16, of the corrugations, which inclined upper ends are preferably flattened more or less to provide a considerable area of contact between the corrugations and the cap plate. The ends of the part 15 of the cap plate are connected to the extensions, 13, by means of suitable connecting pieces or webs, 17. It will be seen that the horizontal portion of the cap plate lies on the outer side of the normal plane of the sheet of which the metal end is made, while the rearward ex-' tension including the elements 13, 15, and

l7, lies on the inner side of said plane, giving to the end a T-beam characteristic.

f desired, the outer margin of the cap late and its extensions, 13, may be flange downwardly as indicated ,at 18 to give added ri 'dit ill I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all. forms and arrangements which come within the terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal car end having fiat portions lying in a vertical plane establishing the plane of the sheet, together with straight corrugations extending at an angle to said plane from one side of said plane at the upper ends of the corrugations to the other side of said plane at the lower ends of said corrugations.

2. A sheet metal car end having flat portions lying in a vertical plane establishing the plane of said sheet, and straight corrugations extending downwardly from points on'the inner side of said plane to points on the outer side of said plane.

3. A sheet metal car end having flat portions lying in a vertical lane establishing the plane of the sheet, and straight parallel corrugations extending downwardly from points on the inner side of said plane near the top of said end to points on the outer side of said lane near the bottom of said end.

4-. A s eet metal car and having flat portions lying in a vertical plane establishing the plane of the sheet,- and parallel straight upright corrugations of uniform depth extendm at an angle to said plane and so arranged that one end of each corrugation lies on one side of said plane while the o posite end lies on the opposite side of said lane.

5. A sheet metal panel having at portions establishing the normal plane of the sheet, and strai ht corrugations extending at an angle to sai plane and each having one end lyin on'one side of said plane and the ogher end lying on the opposite side of said 1) ans. 6. A sheet metal car, end having flat portions lying in a vertical plane establishing the plane gf the sheet and corrugations having their elements lying in vertical'pi'anes, the upper and lower marginal portions of said end being flanged outwardly, and a cap plate overlying the top flange of said end and a part extandin downwardly Ind 6' to the u per en 8 of said corto 10m.

.. Amhect metal ear end having flat poring their elements lying in vertical planes, the upper and lower marginal portions of said end being flanged outwardly, and a transverse foot plate overlying the lower flange and extending upwardly across and secured to the lower ends of said corrugations.

8. A sheet metal car end having vertical corrugations whose upper ends lie on the inner side of the sheet and are flattened, and a cap plate resting on the top of said car end and having a portion extending downwardly across and secured to the flattened upper ends of said corrugations.

9. A sheet metal car end having the upper marginal portion bent outwardly in the form of a flange and having approximately vertical corrugations the upper ends of which lie on the inner side of the car end and are flattened so as to lie in a plane makin an obtuse angle with said flange, and a cap resting on and secured to said flange, said cap having a downward extension resting upon and sec red to said flattened ends of the corrugatio is.

10. In combination, a car floor late, a sheet metal end arranged above said plate and having its lower end bent outwardly to form a flange resting on said late, said end having approximately vertical corrugations the lower ends of which project outwardly, a reinforcing plate extending transversely across and secured to the lower ends of said corrugations and having a flange resting upon the aforesaid flange, and means passing through said flanges and said floor plate to secure the together. 4

11. A sheet metal car end having flat portions lying in a vertical plane establishing the plane of the sheet and corrugations having their elements lying in vertical planes, the upper marginal portion of said end being flanged outwardly, and a cap plate overlying the top flan of said end and having a part extending di wnwardly and secured to the upper ends of said corrugations.

12. A sheet metal car end having flat portions lying in a vertical plane establishing the plane of the sheet and corrugations having their elements lying in vertical planes, the upper and lower marginal portions of said end being bent to form flanges extending at right angles .to said plane, and a transverse foot late overlying the" lower flange and extending upwardly across and secured to the lower ends of said corrugations.

13. In combination, a car floor late, a sheet metal end arranged above said plate and having its lower end bent laterally of the plane of the sheet to form a flange rest mg on said plate, said end having approximately vertical corrugations the lower ends of which project on the same side of the sheet as said flange, a reinforcing plate extending transversely across and secured to the lower ends of said corrugations and having a flan resting upon the aforesaid flange, an: means passing through said langes and said floor plate to secure them together.

14. A sheetmetal car and having flat portions establishing the normal plane of the sheet and wrrugstions extendin r downwardly from points on the inner side of said plane near the top of said end, the upper marginal portion of said end being bent outwardly into the form of a flange, and a cap plate secured on said flange and bent downwardly and inwardly into engagement with the upper ends of said corrugations.

15. The combination with the side walls of a car, of a sheet metal end extending between said side walls, the upper marginal portion of said end being bent outwardly to form a flange, a cap plate resting upon and secured to said flange, said cap plate having rearward extensions overlying and secured to said side walls, and a part extending downwardly behind said end and connected at its ends to said rearward extensions.

16. The combination with the sides of a car, of a sheet metal end engaged with said sides and having flat portions establishing the normal plane of the sheet, said end having approximately vertical corrugations whose 11 per ends lie on the inner sidcof said plane, t e top mar 'nal portion of said end ing bent outwar 1y to form a flange, and a cap plate secured upon said flange, said cap plate having at the ends extensions overlying, and secured to said sides and having also a part bent downwardly and attached to the upper ends of said corrugations and connected at its ends to said extensions.

17. In combination, a car floor plate, a sheet metal end resting on said plate and secured thereto, said end having approximately upright corrugations terminating in the vicinity of said floor plate, and a reinforcing plate extending across and secured to the lower ends of said corrugations and secured to said floo plate.

In testimony Wh reof, I sign this specification.

WILLIAM E. VAN DORN. 

